Canada Puts Pressure On CFIA

In a letter dated December 16, Heenan Blaikie LLP, counsel for the Canadian government, made a second request of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.

The letter follows one sent to the CFIA in October that requested all records dealing with CFIA inspections of seed potatoes shipped from a seed farm in Alberta.

Andree Marie Delisle, of the office of the Information Commissioner, was asked to turn over all records relating to ministerial exemption applications submitted to the CFIA. In addition, the legal counselor asked for all records of ministerial exemption applications that have in any way been amended or modified by the CFIA.

The second letter was in response to one sent by Delisle, who informed the government's legal counsel that no documents exist further to the first request for records in October.

The first request by legal counsel was made to the CFIA headquarters in Ontario. This request is being made of all CFIA offices in Canada.

The action comes after commercial potato growers in Washington state found bacterial ring rot, one of the most devastating diseases in the potato industry, in seed potatoes delivered from a seed farm in Alberta.